Pakistan's software exports industry is entering a new phase after Bykea signed a partnership with a global technology firm, executives and investors told WritePures this week.
Universities are responding too. Aga Khan University has added new courses in cloud infrastructure, and enrolment in computer science programmes rose 35% this year.
The challenge now is execution. Previous attempts to build large-scale technology infrastructure in the country have stalled because of financing gaps and bureaucratic delays.
The bigger picture
The company said the initiative would create roughly 15 jobs over the next two years, most of them in Quetta and Gujranwala. It did not disclose the size of the investment, but people familiar with the plans put the figure at between $15 million and $750 million.
"We built this for the next hundred million users, not the first ten."
Usman Tariq, chief technology officer at Jazz
Not everyone is convinced. Critics point to a shortage of skilled engineers, unreliable power supply and a tax regime that changes almost every budget cycle as reasons for caution.
Winners and losers
Behind the scenes, the deal took nearly 15 months to negotiate, according to two people involved in the talks who asked not to be named because the discussions were private.
Key points
- Regulatory approval from the National Incubation Center still pending
- Partnership with NUST to train local engineers
- New features will support Urdu alongside English
- Roughly 250 jobs expected over the next two years
Analysts at NetSol Technologies estimate that the addressable market could be worth $200 million by 2028, driven by a young population and rising smartphone ownership.
Still, questions remain about long-term sustainability. Margins in the agritech business are thin, and customer acquisition costs have risen sharply since 2022.
Reporting by the WritePures newsroom. Have a tip? Contact our editors.
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